How an IMPD detective cracked a murder case using 'stunning detective work'

A mother testified in four trials to seek justice for rapper's death. "It was very nerve-racking," said Debra Watson, 54. She had to put a face on her son and tell the jurors what his life was like.
Charlie Nye/The Star

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Debra Watson of Indianapolis looks over photos of her son, Thomas "DJ" Keys, a local rapper who was slain in 2012.(Photo: Charlie Nye/IndyStar file photo)Buy Photo

Two large screens hanging Monday night in a room of the Indianapolis Public Library flashed the grisly scenes.

One image showed a back door, blood smeared just beneath a 2-by-4 board sealing the door shut.

Another image captured the crime scene, with only the legs and feet of the rapper's body visible and several zip ties scattered nearby.

Then there was the image of the body of Thomas "DJ" Keys, his wrist zip-tied together and his face surrounded by duct tape, a small splash of blood on the floor beside him.

About 100 people gathered Monday saw the photos and listened to interrogation audio during the opening session of the Marion County prosecutor's Community Justice Academy, which highlights a handful of important criminal justice topics each year.

They learned how detectives worked the 2012 homicide investigation — and how an empty bag of zip ties made the difference in the case.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The details of the investigation weren't as flashy as you might expect to see on "Law and Order" or "CSI," but the night had a star, nonetheless.

Brian Schemenaur, an IMPD homicide detective, captivated the crowd as he outlined how he cracked the case against six men who were convicted in the killing of Keys.

"You're getting a glimpse of what the jury got to see," Schemenaur said.

Keys, 22, was found shot to death in November 2012 in the One Stop Media studio near 46th Street and Keystone Avenue.

Another man, 26-year-old Marvin Finney II, also was bound and shot but survived after pretending to be dead before fleeing to a nearby CVS for help. He became a witness in the case.

The six assailants ​​​​​​​— Nathaniel Armstrong, Dominique Hamler, James McDuffy, Dontee Robinson, Carlton Hart and Darin Jackson — apparently believed that Keys and Finney knew who had killed one of their friends a few days earlier. The detective said he found no evidence to support that.

The detective spoke about how the two victims were tortured and shot and slashed with a box cutter.

Some attendees murmured a soft "wow" as the images appeared before them.

“It’s just despicable," Schemenaur said. "There’s no words for it.”

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​He noted he spent several hours at the crime scene. The effort paid off by the end of the investigation. ​​​​​​​

Investigators gathered a few pieces of important evidence at the scene, including the 2-by-4 and a discarded bag that had held the zip ties.

A selfie taken by Thomas "DJ" Keys. Keys was killed in a recording studio in November 2012 at age 22.(Photo: Provided by Debra Watson)

The bag proved to be a crucial piece of evidence. He used a phone app to scan the bag's barcode to see where the product was sold. ​​​​​​​He learned the zip ties were sold exclusively at Lowe's.

​​​​​​​“So what I focused on was that bag," Schemenaur said. "Maybe I could get lucky at a Lowe’s.”

He visited the nearest location. ​​​​​​​And he got lucky.

​​​​​​​He asked a loss prevention manager if he had noticed any suspicious activity at the store. The manager actually had: three men had bought a collection of peculiar items, including a box cutter, a 2-by-4 and zip ties.

​​​​​​​The manager noticed the three pick up a box cutter, which some shoplifters use to cut open boxes while in the store, so he started watching them.

​​​​​​​The zip ties were especially unusual, the manager told the detective, because they were very large. The shoppers had originally looked at smaller versions but decided against it after a conversation. One shopper even crisscrossed his wrists while on camera, apparently simulating how a bound person's wrists would look.

​​​​​​​The detective then revealed to the crowd several snapshots of the recorded video, where the faces of the three shoppers were clearly visible: McDuffy, Jackson and Hart. The store's surveillance system caught their entire trip.

The six suspects convicted in the November 2012 murder of local rapper Thomas “DJ” Keys are Dominique Hamler (clockwise from top left), Donte Robinson, Carlton Hart, Nathaniel Armstrong, James McDuffy and Darin Jackson.
(Photo:
Photos provided by IMPD
)

​​​​​​​The detective was even able to trace back the shoppers' payment to a gift card registered in McDuffy's name.

Schemenaur had a lot of evidence, but he needed more from Finney, the victim who survived.

Finney had originally told investigators very little about the night. But after a few days with his family, Finney said he would share more details even though he was scared.

He told the detective how Finney and Keys were lured to the studio to help out on a project but soon learned they were being ambushed. The captors kept asking who killed their friend, Brandon McMitchell, who went by the name "Lil Bango." He had died four days earlier.

Finney was able to help identify four of the suspects.

“This was just a snapshot of what went into this case,” Schemenaur told the group Monday night. He didn't wade into all of the warrants.

By the end of the presentation Schemenaur wanted to emphasize an important point for the crowd.

Many victims and witnesses are afraid to trust detectives, he said, for fear of retaliation, a desire to handle the problem themselves or because of the stigma of talking to police.

“I don’t know how to solve it, but this is what I think: We need to promote a societal culture that champions those with the courage to come forward, the people who reject the violence in their communities,” Schemenaur told the group.

"These are the heroes. These are not snitches.”​​​​​​​

He could solve the case because Finney was willing to trust him, Schemenaur said.

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Brian Schemenaur, an IMPD homicide detective, shows crime scene photos from a 2012 homicide to a crowd of about 100 people at the Marion County prosecutor’s office’s Community Justice Academy on Monday night.(Photo: Ryan Martin/IndyStar)

Several members of Keys’ family were in attendance, as was Finney’s mother, Valerie Finney.

Afterward, she spoke with IndyStar about her son.

“He’s blessed,” she said, noting he recently finished schooling for photography and grooming.

Even though she is all too familiar with the story of that night, the details are still painful to hear, she said.

“It still hurts. Because Thomas (Keys) should still be here,” she said. “I can’t believe there are people with such cruel hearts.”

Before her son talked to Schemenaur, the family received death threats, Valerie Finney said.

Three more Community Justice Academy sessions are planned this month. The next, on Oct. 11, will provide more detail about the prosecution of the case. It will feature Deputy Prosecutor Ross Anderson.

The opioid crisis and human trafficking will be covered in the final two sessions. Those interested in attending the next three sessions should call the prosecutor office's outreach director, Annie Kern, at 317-327-3642.